Hochstein’s successor visits Lebanon, demands inspection of 30 ‘Hezbollah sites’

Arriving in Lebanon Thursday for her maiden visit as the new U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, replacing Amos Hochstein, was Morgan Ortagus. Ortagus commenced a tour of inspections with a visit to the US Embassy, where she received from US Major General Jasper Jeffers, chairman of the ceasefire monitoring committee, briefings about what the committee’s missions were observing on the field.

The pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al-Akhbar quoted sources as saying that Ortagus and Jeffers agreed on the start of a serious program of cooperation with the Lebanese Army. It will cover inspections of some 30 suspected Hezbollah sites north of the Litani River, notably in the al-Zahrani and Bekaa regions.

The Lebanese Army Command reportedly was informed that the intelligence shows Hezbollah is hiding weapons and ammunition in buildings, storage facilities, valleys, and forests—claims allegedly based on information provided by Israel. Al-Akhbar further reported that U.S. officials are demanding the appointments of specific individuals to Lebanon’s military and security apparatuses. They are seeking to see individuals at key junctures who will support their interpretation of the ceasefire agreement and have no links to Hezbollah.

The sources that the newspaper cited, claimed that Ortagus would put pressure on Lebanese heads for the approval of these appointments. Washington, in coordination with France, is reportedly seeking officers to its liking with the aim of preventing further local uprisings and facilitating the Lebanese Army’s deployment in the affected areas.